ONE comment made by a person claiming to be a journalist almost sent me off-kilter had not the Davao guys attending the ManilArt17 gala night not been their typical rambunctious cuckoo selves.
Introducing herself as belonging to a TV network, she went on to talk about her knowledge and love for ethnic art and costumes. She likes Mindanao ethnic art, too, she said, but not that much because "parang pare-pareho lang sila lahat."
Having had to suffer through her all-knowing discussion on ethnic art and patterns, I knew setting her right will be an exercise in futility. She was prattling off her know-how to show that she understands the Mindanao art that Davao artist Kublai P. Millan displayed to the upscale crowd of the annual visual art festival. She was not there to learn.
I walked away.
In my early years as a journalist covering indigenous peoples, I admit that I couldn't distinguish one tribe from another. The best I could do was distinguish the Islamized from the non-Islamized tribes. But saying that they all look the same is turning your nose up to the vast spectrum of colors and culture that each pattern and color represents.
That is when interest on the tribes can grab you and never let you go. Because what started out looking like a cacophony of primary colors -- red, blue, yellow -- interspersed with black, white, green, and gold, you start to see the distinctness of a tribe. It's like trying to focus after a spinning wheel of colors slows down and stops.
That is also when you gain deeper understanding and find the link between the simple and intricate weaves and embellishments and a tribe's assertiveness or meekness.
It is also when you start to recognize the distinct patterns and handiwork that will urge you to explore further and get to know them more, especially because there are many details that is no longer in use today, and there are stories behind that as well.
Brushing off a whole island inhabited by indigenous tribes both Islamized and non-Islamized as all the same slams the door to deeper understanding and appreciation.
Imagine: In Southern and Eastern Mindanao alone there are the Manobo, Mandaya, Mansaka, Dibabawon, Banwaon, Bagobo, Ubo Manobo, Tagakaolo, Talaingod Langilan, Mamanwa, Higaonon, Blaan, Tboli, Kagan, Tagabawa, Manobo Blit, Matigsalog, Tigawahanon, and Sangil.
In Central Mindanao, there are the Aromanon, Teduray, Subanen, Maguindanao, Maranao, Iranun, Karintik, Lambangian, and Dulangan aside from the Bagobo, Ubo Manobo, Higaonon, and Blaan.
Then in Northern and Western Midnanao, there are the Talaandig, Umayamnon, Manobo, Kamigin, Yakan, Sama, Sama di Laut, Kalibugan, and Jama Mapon aside from the Subanen, Higaonon, and Matigsalog.
These do not even include the sub-tribes and there are a lot. A person has to be blind to say these people are one and the same.
As we all know in human relationships and culture, it is the nuances of actions, patterns, languages, and believes that define a people. To close our eyes to these is to deny ourselves the beauty in diversity much like turning the colors in a kaleidoscope to just black.
Go out, learn, get to know, understand, and learn to love. Only then will you truly appreciate the Philippines as a nation of beauty and wonder beyond just the malls and the condominiums and the white sand beaches and the parties.
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saestremera@gmail.com